Rashan Gary and the Green Bay Packers once again came up short in Week 8 action, falling at home to the division rival Minnesota Vikings by a final score of 24-10. While there hasn’t been much to be excited about this season for Packers’ fans, something did happen on Monday that should bring happiness. Gary agreed to a massive four-year contract extension, keeping the star pass-rusher around for years to come.
Over the past few weeks, there have been some worries that Gary could leave in NFL free agency next offseason. With this move, that won’t even be an option.
Keeping Gary in town was a clear priority for the Packers. Far too often, they have allowed their most talented in-house free agents to walk away to other teams. That was a big issue between the Packers and superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who everyone knows decided to want out and was traded to the New York Jets.
Following the big extension between Gary and the Packers, the star pass-rusher spoke out about the deal. It’s clear he could not be more thankful to the organization for working out an agreement that made sense for both parties.
“Just for me to sign a contract like that, meaning that much, with my loved ones, my base, words can’t really describe the feeling.”
Rashan Gary’s mom and sister were in Green Bay when he signed his massive new contract Sunday morning.
They call themselves the Three Musketeers.
“Just for me to sign a contract like that, meaning that much, with my loved ones, my base, words can’t really describe the feeling.” pic.twitter.com/DW9Xynnlif
— Matt Schneidman (@mattschneidman) October 30, 2023
Why The Packers Should Be Excited About The Rashan Gary Extension
So far this season, Gary has been one of the lone bright spots for the Packers. In a season worse than what any fan has seen in quiet some time from Green Bay, he has left everything he has out on the field.
Through the seven games Gary has played this season for the Packers, he has racked up 15 total tackles to go along with 4.5 sacks. He has been among the league’s elite in pass-rushing statistics. Granted, Green Bay would love to see even more production, but Gary has been coming back from a torn ACL suffered last season.
To be able to make the kind of impact he has made is impressive for any player coming off of such a serious injury. Not only has Rashan Gary looked good this season, he has continually gotten better from a leadership perspective as well.
Looking towards the future for the Packers, Gary will play a huge part in getting them back into contention. At this point in time, it appears that Green Bay is a few years from contention. However, that could change with some good roster moves by general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Keeping Gary long-term should give fans more confidence in Gutekunst as well. His job has been called into play a lot over the last couple of years, but making sure to find a way to keep Gary is a step in the right direction. Now, he just needs to find a way to add the necessary talent to get back to winning.